The Symbol of True Peace
by Gemini Artemis
Summary: One night, All Might is abducted by aliens and Izuku is the only witness. Nobody believes him. After all, there's no such thing as aliens. However, All Might suddenly returns two years later under mysterious and ominous circumstances. And he brings bad news for the Earth.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

It was a warm night at Dagobah Municipal Beach Park. The sky was overcast, which was odd, since it had been clear for the past week and the weather forecast had not made any mention of rain for the following days. Not that any of this was important. What mattered was that it was still perfect for training. It was late enough that Izuku and his mentor could talk and train all they wanted without worrying about random passersby.

"Are you sure you're up to it, All Might?" Izuku asked anxiously as they walked side by side and made their way to the shore. "I mean, you just got the cast off your arm, right? Shouldn't you be taking it easy?"

All Might chuckled and waved Izuku's worries away. "My boy, I _am_ taking it easy. You're going to do all the work and I'll just watch, right? I really want to see that new technique of yours again!"

Izuku grinned, feeling his heart beat faster in his excitement to show off his Shoot Style. Back when he had first used it in front of All Might, Izuku had been in the middle of a class and they hadn't had time to discuss the technique in detail. Now that it was just the two of them, maybe All Might could even offer some advice on how to improve it.

He made sure All Might was a safe distance away — neither of them wanted a repeat from that same class in which Katchan had accidentally almost crushed All Might with a boulder — and then Izuku demonstrated the Shoot Style and a few variations he had been trying out. Between one move and the other, he launched into long-winded explanations on how each move worked, why they were ideal, where he had gotten inspiration for them, comparing them to All Might's signature moves, and so on and so forth.

At one point, when he paused for breath, he self-consciously wondered if All Might was put off or bored by his rambling, like most people. To his delight, All Might seemed to be genuinely interested in what Izuku was saying. He even offered to spar a little, though that idea was short-lived, as two minutes in, All Might started coughing up blood and collapsed on his back on the sand.

Izuku eyed him warily, trying to glean his state of health and mind. Did he need to go to the hospital? Or back to UA? However, All Might was smiling peacefully. He beckoned Izuku to join him, which the boy promptly did, albeit a little confused. They lay there, side by side, just looking at the dark cloudy sky. No stars to be seen. Not a very interesting sight, but relaxing nonetheless.

"I'm very proud of you, young Midoriya," said All Might softly, but earnestly. "I couldn't have found a better successor to be the new holder of the One for All and the new Symbol of Peace."

His mentor's words awoke in him several conflicting feelings. He was so happy — elated, even — to be acknowledged and validated by his greatest idol… However, he was also scared. _You're next_ , All Might had said. Of course, what scared him the most wasn't All for One or any other villain. He was scared that moments like this — showing his mentor and idol how much he was improving every day, getting praised by him — were numbered. All Might the Hero was no more. How much longer until All Might the Teacher was also gone?

He felt his eyes prickle with the threat of tears. This wouldn't do. He had to stop being a crybaby. He had to stop sullying these precious moments in All Might's company with such negative feelings and thoughts. He wanted to keep them as happy memories. It shouldn't be so hard. He _was_ happy, after all!

Something seemed to shine in the sky like a star. Which was ridiculous, of course, because the sky was still completely overcast. Izuku figured that it must have been a reflection from his tears. He closed his eyes hard and wiped any stubborn tear left with his gloved hand. There, now he could see clearly.

Or he would have, if a sudden thick fog hadn't enveloped them so that Izuku could barely see anything beyond All Might. They both got up slowly, allert.

"What the…?" All Might muttered.

Villain attack or natural phenomenon?

Izuku tried clenching his hands into fists, and found that it took way more effort than it should. His limbs felt alarmingly tense, almost paralyzed.

Definitely a villain attack, then. Oh, they shouldn't have breathed in the strange fog.

Before he could fully analyze their situation and come up with a plan to get backup, a very bright light turned on overhead like a spotlight. Izuku struggled to bend his neck so he could look up, but the fog prevented him from seeing the source of the light. At his side, All Might was having the same trouble.

"Wh-Who… Who's there?!" Izuku asked through gritted teeth, his jaw locked. Even breathing was starting to get hard. Whoever was behind this, they had a very powerful Quirk.

A smothered yelp from All Might caught Izuku's attention, his eyes darting to the side where his mentor had been standing precariously. To his surprise, All Might was now apparently floating several feet in the air, his long arms stretched upwards as if being held up by invisible strings.

Izuku was completely paralyzed now, still on his feet only by some miracle. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even blink. He could just watch as All Might was slowly suspended higher and higher until the thick fog swallowed his thin form.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the fog started to disperse and the blinding light above diminished. Izuku fell on his knees and took a couple of harsh breaths, realizing he was finally able to move freely, before he stood up and looked up. His jaw dropped at what he saw.

It was a UFO. A freaking alien ship. Like straight out of a movie.

This was a dream. Izuku was dreaming. Any moment now, he would wake up in his bed, hungry for breakfast.

But…

Dream or not, they had taken All Might, and Izuku — Deku — couldn't allow it. He tapped into the power of One for All and jumped with all his might and beyond to reach the disk-shaped ship that had started to ascend. He didn't care how many bones he would break in the process; he _would_ get All Might back.

He was shooting through the increasingly cold air like a bullet, his watering eyes fixed on the uncanny ship, which was barely visible in the night sky now that its lights were off.

"A hundred percent…" he whispered, and then, "DETROIT SMAAAAAASH!" he screamed when he was drawing close to the ship. He felt so panicked and disoriented that he didn't even think to attack with his new, safer technique. He attacked recklessly and purely out of instinct.

His arm never touched the ship, though. The ship just… vanished into thin air, the remaining fog dissipating. Like it had never been there. Like nothing had happened.

But something _had_ happened, because All Might was no longer lying peacefully by his side on the beach, and Izuku was twenty stories in the air and freefalling with his legs and his right arm flapping uselessly. He didn't even try to save himself. A small part of him was still waiting for him to wake up from this horrible nightmare.

His whole body went limp and he blacked out before he hit the ground.


	2. Two Years Later

AN: Thank you for the encouraging reviews! I forgot to mention before that this story starts around the end of Season 3 and diverges from canon from there.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

 **TWO YEARS LATER**

It had been two years since All Might's overnight disappearance, and people still talked about it, though not as often anymore. It had become one of the biggest mysteries in the world. Both in mass media and on social networks, all kinds of theories about what had happened to the former Number One Hero were put forth every day, some crazier than others.

For example, there was this conspiracy theory that All Might had been a robot or an android, an American war machine in development that had been put to a long-term test in Japan. Now that this weapon had been successfully tested, it had been taken back to America for a secret mass production to form an invincible army.

Other, less far-fetched theories claimed that All Might was simply on a long-term secret underground mission, or he had been captured and killed by a villain, or he had decided to retire as a teacher on top of retiring as a hero and had gone to live the rest of his days in an undisclosed location so he could finally get some peace and relax.

There was also the theory that All Might had been abducted by aliens, which was considered one of the most ridiculous theories out there. Ironic, since it was also the truthful one.

Obviously, Izuku had tried to tell everyone what happened after the incident. He had told his mother, his classmates, his teachers, the police, Gran Torino, the media, everyone.

In hindsight, he probably should have waited until his serious concussion and his other injuries from that night had been healed before he started screaming and freaking out and blathering incoherently like a raving lunatic. Maybe then people would have taken him more seriously. Maybe.

"I believe you, Deku," Uraraka had said, and he hadn't even been sure if she actually, sincerely believed him, but her unwavering support had been like a lifeline among all the jeering and pity-filled glances and shaking heads and down-to-earth explanations about concussion-induced hallucinations. It had meant so much to him that he couldn't stop crying, until…

"But what can we do, though?" she had gone on saying, more subdued. "Nobody believes you. Even if everyone did believe you, you were the only eyewitness, and you never actually saw those aliens, and there's stuff you don't remember because of your concussion."

"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do this time," Iida had added solemnly. "It's entirely out of our reach."

"We can't save everyone," Mr. Aizawa had told him later on when asked for advice. "Sometimes, we fail. People die. Villains escape. Some cases are never solved. It's illogical to dwell on it when there are so many lives out there that you can still save. Life moves on, no matter what."

Izuku refused to give up hope. Hope that someday, somehow, All Might would be back and everything would be back to normal. However, Mr. Aizawa had been right about one thing — _life moves on, no matter what_.

Life did move on. Even with All Might always in his thoughts, Izuku healed from the concussion and the broken bones. He was lectured by Recovery Girl about respecting his body's limits. He continued studying at UA. He continued training to control One For All, now under Gran Torino's guidance. He had a busy life. So busy that sometimes he could almost forget about All Might.

Almost.

Eventually, he resigned himself to the idea that he would probably never see All Might again. He supposed it wasn't as heartbreaking when you had already had to deal with your father's absence. What was one more father figure vanishing from his life? Especially a father figure who had been much more of a father to him than his biological father had ever been.

Yes, Izuku should be used to it by now. His eyes burned with unshed tears, but he held them back. That was not what All Might would have done in his place. No, he would have done exactly the opposite. He would have _laughed_. He would have been brave and put on a big smile to comfort everyone else as well as himself.

He wasn't Quirkless little Izuku anymore. He was Deku, the future Number One Hero. A third-year at UA. Practically a pro.

Nevertheless, he often found himself on that beach where he had last seen All Might. The same place where he had ceased to be just a Quirkless fanboy to become the ninth holder of One For All. The same place that had been swarming with garbage until he had cleaned it up with his bare hands. All Might had been so impressed and proud…

The beach was deserted, as usual at this time of the night. Izuku plopped down on the sand with a heavy sigh and watched the dark waves, allowing himself to get lost in memories.

His gaze rose to the sky, where some stars were visible despite light pollution from the city. People had told him that it had been just a dream. It did feel like a dream now. It had all happened so fast that he had barely had time to react. But he knew better than to let himself believe it had been just a dream. As much as he would have liked to deny it, it had been real. All Might was gone.

On nights like this, when he came to this beach, he wondered. Was All Might still up there, somewhere in the vastness of outer space? Was he cold there? In pain? Conscious? Aware of his situation? Did he remember Earth and Izuku?

Was he even still alive?

Izuku shook his head to dispel such thoughts, deciding that they would do nothing but make him depressed. He checked the time. He had promised his mother that he would visit her and have dinner at her house tonight. Izuku was always so busy with his studies, his training, and his internship, so he seldom had time to visit her anymore. He couldn't be late now and risk upsetting her — or worse, worrying her.

He stood up and was ready to go home when he suddenly caught sight of someone else on the beach, walking along the shore. From the distance between them and in the dark, he couldn't see them that well. All he could tell was that the person was tall, very tall. Tall just like…

Despite himself, Izuku started walking towards them.

A mop of golden hair danced in the breeze as its owner, staggering slightly as if dizzy and lost (drunk, maybe?), suddenly stopped and looked up at the dark sky.

For a moment, that person had looked just like…

Izuku shook his head again, harder this time. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be _him_. For a moment, Izuku's eyes had just seen what he _wished_ they were seeing. Or maybe he was just tired, he considered as he rubbed his stinging eyes.

And yet, when he looked again, that person was staring back at him. As if in synchrony, they both started moving to get closer to each other. The closer they got, the more that person looked like All Might, dressed exactly as he had been on the night of his abduction, two years ago.

It was like a mirage. An illusion born from his wishful thinking. Another hallucination?

"Young Midoriya?" the person asked, and there was no doubt about it. That voice, that inflection…

"All Might?" Izuku's voice was barely a whisper. "Is that really you?"

"My boy, you look like you've just seen a ghost!" A familiar laugh. "Of course it's me. Did you think I was gone for good?"

And just like that, Izuku felt like the pathetic middle-schooler who would just cry from pure joy at the mere sight of his idol. His feet seemed to break into a run all on their own.

"ALL MIIIIIGHT!" His voice echoed in the empty beach park as he ran to the other man and then he seized him in a tight embrace. He wanted to be sure that this wasn't an illusion or a ghost.

He felt the other man embrace him back just as tightly, so that Izuku could even hear his heartbeat.

"It's all right now," said All Might. "Because I am here!"


	3. Catching Up

**CHAPTER 2**

 **CATCHING UP**

Izuku could hardly believe his eyes. He felt just like when he had first met All Might face to face, back when he had been saved from the villain with a sludge Quirk. Just like then, the All Might he saw now was the real one, and that fact was just as incredible.

Izuku didn't know what to say. Or rather, he knew exactly what he wanted to say, but not in what order. His mouth moved as if trying to say at least three different sentences at the same time, resulting in a stuttering stream of gibberish, which wasn't helped by his sobbing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just breathe, my boy!" said All Might, gesturing for him to calm down. "There, there. Deep breaths, or you'll hyperventilate," he went on, holding his student by the shoulders to steady him.

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in—"All Might!" he shouted, feeling a little more in control of himself. "I can't believe you're here! I thought I'd never see you again! I have so many questions! What happened to you? How did you get back? Who kidnapped you? Where have you been all this time? What did they want from you? Where are they now? Did they hurt you? Are you okay? Are you—"

He had started rambling, a habit that he hadn't been able to shake off even now. It was interrupted by his own loudly rumbling stomach, which caused him to blush.

As if to try cutting through the awkward atmosphere with a lighter mood, All Might chuckled and jokingly remarked, "Wow, it's like you're the one who hasn't eaten in the past two years!" He searched his own pockets and spoke in a more serious, apologetic tone, "I'm afraid I can't treat you, though. I don't have any money on me and I don't even know if I still own anything, since I've been gone for a while."

"Oh, no, actually, I'm late to my mom's dinner…" Izuku trailed off when he had an idea. "You should come have dinner with us, All Might!"

"Oh, no, I don't want to impose, especially since your mother isn't expecting a guest…"

"I insist!" said Izuku. "You just said you haven't eaten properly in a while. Besides, you can tell me everything that's happened."

"Heh, good point. Very well, then!"

xxx

Izuku's mother was, predictably, quite shocked when Izuku came home with All Might in tow, but she took it in stride with practiced ease. Her son looked genuinely happy for the first time in two years, and that was what mattered to her.

The teenager waited until they were all seated and eating to start asking all the questions swimming in his head, but before he even opened his mouth, something in particular caught his attention.

All Might was eating normally.

The consequences of All Might's gastrectomy regarding his diet had never been explicitly brought up by the retired hero, but Izuku had a good eye for detail and he had also done some reading on the subject.

After losing his stomach, All Might had to be careful with what and how he ate. He needed to avoid certain types of food, eat several small meals instead of big three meals, and chew slowly and thoroughly before he swallowed his food.

All Might was following none of these recommendations right now, though. He was eating like a healthy but very hungry man. Without a care about what was on his plate, eating quickly like the food might disappear at any moment. As politely as possible, of course, but still a far cry from his usual eating habits.

Maybe he hadn't been exaggerating about not having eaten "in the past two years." Though, honestly, Izuku hadn't even known that one could feel hungry without a stomach.

Izuku hesitated to comment on it. On the one hand, he felt it wasn't his place to question All Might about his diet, as the man was older than him and supposedly knew what he was doing. On the other hand, Izuku was equal parts worried and curious about his unusual behavior.

He decided to indirectly bring attention to it through an apology.

"I'm sorry, I should've made sure my mom had made something you could eat before inviting you to dinner," he said, with a nervous smile. "You don't have to eat anything you shouldn't just to be polite, though."

"What are you talking about, Izuku?" his mother asked, growing anxious. "Is Mr. All Might on a diet? If that's the case, you should have told me earlier! It's very rude to invite a guest and serve them something they can't eat!" She turned to All Might, red-faced, and bowed her head. "I'm very sorry, Mr. All Might! I didn't know. I can probably cook something else for you right now…"

Even while Inko spoke, All Might was already shaking his hands in front of him to calm her down, smiling softly.

"Please, ma'am. I assure that's not necessary," he said. "It's true that I had to follow a strict diet after my gastrectomy—"

"Gastrectomy?!" she interrupted, both her hands shakily covering her mouth in mortification. "That's when you have your stomach removed, right? Oh, dear, then it's even more serious than I thought!"

"Please let me finish," All Might asked politely. "For the past two years, I've been undergoing an experimental procedure to regenerate my organs. My stomach is growing back. There are some types of food that I still need to avoid, but my diet is almost normal."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Inko's relief was palpable, but Izuku was even more unsettled than before.

"Wait a minute, All Might," he cut in. "An experimental procedure? In the past two years? What exactly is going on here? Where have you been all this time?"

Inko frowned in confusion and looked like she wanted to say something, maybe scold her son for his lack of manners. However, she could see how serious and tense he was and decided to remain silent and watch. For his part, All Might looked somber all of a sudden.

His hunger and his food forgotten, All Might rested his bony elbows on the table, his interlocked fingers hiding his mouth from view as his penetrating blue gaze watched mother and son gravely.

"I can't think of anyone I'd trust more with this other than you, Midoriya," he finally said. "But what I'm going to tell you now can't leave this room. At least, not until I have had some time to consider my next move."

Izuku gulped audibly, but nodded.

"You can trust me," he said. "Whatever it is, I'll do my best to help you."

"You can count on me, too," said Inko, just as earnest despite her nervousness.

"I don't know if this is common knowledge or how much Young Midoriya remembers, but…" All Might began. "The fact is that I was abducted by aliens two years ago while we were training."

"I knew it!" Izuku shouted, banging a fist on the table and making the cutlery shake.

"Izuku! Mind your manners!" Inko scolded.

"Mom, everybody told me I had hallucinated the whole thing and called me crazy! Even you!"

"What?" She blushed. "I-I never called you crazy!"

"But you never believed me!" Izuku stood up and gestured at All Might, still frowning at his mother. "And here he is now, confirming what I told you and everybody else!"

"Midoriya, my boy…"

"No one believed me, All Might!" Izuku couldn't help a note of bitterness in his voice as he addressed his hero. "Everybody thinks you're dead or in hiding."

All Might's sigh was heavy with resignation. "I don't blame them. It even took _me_ a while to accept that my captivity on an alien ship was my new reality. Until that moment, I had never believed in the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. I had only seen aliens in movies and games."

Clenching his fists to control the shaking in his hands, Izuku sat back down, letting All Might's words sink in.

"So, you've been their prisoner all this time?" he asked, his voice now barely above a whisper. "What did they want from you?"

To their surprise, All Might laughed. "It's a funny story, actually."

"I'm sorry, but what could possibly be funny about being abducted by aliens and held captive for two years?" Inko questioned, her eyes fierce and judgmental, and for a moment, Izuku was reminded of when she had almost forbidden him to attend UA.

Unfazed by her disapproving frown, All Might's grin only grew. "They wanted to study human Quirks. They wanted the best specimen they could find, and so — get this — they picked _me_!" He laughed like it was a funny joke. "They did their homework and found out I was the Number One Hero. But they didn't realize I'd just retired and was Quirkless again!"

Neither Izuku nor his mother saw the humor in the situation, but he considered All Might's words seriously and tapped his chin.

"So, once they realized their mistake, why didn't they let you go and abduct Endeavor or anyone else with a Quirk?"

All Might shrugged. "Apparently, they decided that the leftover power from One For All in my system was enough to work with, even though it was nearly zero."

"If you're here now…" Inko interjected timidly, "does that mean they got what they wanted, after all?"

"Yes and no," said All Might. "Their goal was to replicate what they called the 'Quirk Factor' in their own bodies. They failed. Then, they tried to harness the Quirk and manipulate it through technology. They succeeded."

"What… what does that mean?" Izuku asked.

"It means they can't use Quirks naturally, as parts of their bodies, like humans do, but they can use them artificially, like weapons."

That didn't sound good, and Izuku didn't know if it was a trick of the light, but All Might looked almost proud of the aliens.

"They actually collected a small part of the One For All that was still in my body, practically inactive… and they enhanced it!" All Might grinned, clenching a fist triumphantly. "All the way to one hundred percent, stored in dozens of tubes! It was like looking at all the previous holders of One For All, and even future holders!"

"It… must have been quite a sight," Izuku conceded. "But isn't it a little disturbing? I mean, what did they want all that power for?"

All Might's smile softened. "To save their endangered planet."

"Oh?" Well, that was unexpected. "Their planet is dying?"

"Yeah. I don't know the details, though," All Might murmured. "But they're good people. Especially the scientists that experimented on me. When they saw how bad my condition was, they went out of their way to make me more comfortable. They have very advanced medical technology. They didn't have much experience treating injuries in humans, but they did their best."

"That sounds… nice of them?" Inko remarked.

"Oh!" exclaimed Izuku. "That's what you meant when you mentioned an experimental procedure to regenerate your organs!"

"Exactly." All Might sat back and lifted his shirt on the left side, where his huge scar had been. The scar was still there, though it looked a little bit smoother and faded somehow. "They regenerated part of my stomach and part of my left lung. They're not fully functional yet, but it's a vast improvement from before."

"Now that you mention it…" Izuku muttered, tapping his chin. "You haven't coughed up blood once!"

All Might nodded, dropping the hem of his shirt. "I can still get winded and cough if I push myself too hard, but no blood! And they told me that the regeneration process is not yet completed, so maybe someday I'll even be completely healed! And I can hold my Muscle Form for twenty minutes now!"

"Whoa! That's amazing!" Izuku grinned from ear to ear, wishing he could personally thank the alien scientists who had helped his mentor so much.

"So, since they got what they wanted to save their planet and they healed you, that's why they brought you back, right?" Inko asked.

And just like that, All Might's grin fell and he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Um, actually, that's where things get complicated…"

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, dreading the answer.

"The aliens weren't done experimenting on me. I don't know what exactly they had in store for me. Since they went through the trouble of trying to heal me, I can only assume that they had plans for more experiments."

"I see," said Izuku. "You had to escape from them."

"I didn't have to. They willingly let me come back to Earth."

"Why, it sounds like these aliens really aren't that bad," said Inko, smiling.

"Wait, that doesn't make sense," said Izuku. "Why would they let you go if they still had plans for you?"

All Might just watched them for a moment, as if weighing his words. "You have to keep in mind that this alien race is not so different from Humankind, in the sense that they're all individuals, each one with their own personality and set of morals. It's true that some of them probably see us humans as nothing but lab animals to be dissected and experimented on… But there are also those who have noble hearts and are capable of empathy, even for a different species." He smiled fondly. "I spent two whole years among them. I was bound to make some friends."

"So they let you go? Just like that?" Izuku asked, skepticism coloring his voice. There had to be more to it, and judging by the way All Might sat stiffly in his chair, his smile turning into a grimace, it almost looked like All Might was afraid of spitting out the truth.

"Of course it wasn't a light decision on their part," All Might admitted. "They weren't authorized to bring me back to Earth. They will probably have to face consequences when their superiors inevitably find out."

"Then why…?"

"They couldn't save their planet," All Might said in one breath, like the words pained him. "Their plan failed. They have nowhere to go. And so, their leaders decided to resort to plan B."

"Plan B?" Izuku echoed feebly. His gut clenched with a bad feeling.

All Might's icy blue eyes met his, making his blood run cold before he even elaborated.

"They're going to take Earth for themselves and claim it as their new home."


	4. Reunion

CHAPTER 3: REUNION

"They're going to take Earth for themselves and claim it as their new home."

All Might let those words sink in. Inko gasped and stared at Izuku, as if he would tell her that it was not true. When he didn't say anything to contradict or challenge All Might's words, Inko just covered her face and started muttering unintelligibly to herself. Praying, perhaps.

For his part, Izuku couldn't afford to let panic or denial get a hold of him. He was training to be a pro hero, which meant he needed to keep a cool head and try to find a solution, no matter how dire the situation. His analytical brain was already working at full speed.

An alien invasion. It sounded crazy at first, but when he really thought about it, it wasn't that different from a villain attack. Contrary to how it was depicted in the movies, Earth wasn't completely helpless. They had powerful war weapons and thousands upon thousands of trained heroes with strong Quirks all over the world. At the very least, they wouldn't go down without a fight.

They already had some intel on the attack, so all they needed to do was contact the authorities and coordinate a defense strategy, preferably on an international scale.

"Would the authorities even believe us, though?" Inko asked softly, and Izuku realized he had been talking out loud, as usual.

His mother made a good point, though. Everyone had always laughed at the idea that All Might had been abducted by aliens. Even if the former Number One Hero returned and tried to warn everyone about the impending invasion, would anyone take him seriously? Or would they claim that he was going senile or that his skull had taken too many hits?

"Maybe we can start with people in positions of power that are closer to us," said Izuku. "The principal, for example, or Detective Tsukauchi… What do you think, All Might?" He called out, having noticed that his mentor was strangely quiet.

While Izuku had been thinking, All Might had stood up and walked over to the nearest window. It took him a moment to respond to Izuku, and he looked uncomfortable.

"Oh… I was just wondering if fighting them like villains would really be the right thing," he said.

"They _are_ villains," Inko pointed out, getting increasingly angry. "They want to take over the Earth, and they'll annihilate us or… or at least force us to work for them or something! That sounds villainous enough to me!"

"Realistically speaking, our chances in a direct confrontation aren't very good," said All Might. "We have weapons? They have _better_ weapons. We have strong Quirks? They have advanced technology. We're smart? They're smarter."

"We can still try! We can't just let them take our planet from us without a fight!"

"Even if we beat them," All Might went on, unfazed, "they're still an entire race of intelligent beings with feelings and beloved ones, with nowhere to go. It just doesn't sit right with me to treat them like villains. They're just trying to survive."

Right, he had almost forgotten that All Might had made friends with some of them. The same friends who had apparently brought All Might back just so he could warm Earth's authorities and save his planet from his friends' own race.

With a sigh, Izuku joined his mentor by the window.

"What do you suggest, then? A diplomatic mission, maybe? Do you think we could convince the aliens not to invade?"

All Might didn't reply, instead choosing to stare at the sky out of the window. Izuku followed his gaze and contemplated the stars. A starry sky had always been a fascinating, relaxing view, and yet Izuku couldn't relax now, knowing what or who was up there with them, with their eyes on the Earth.

"I don't know," All Might finally said with a sigh. "All I know is that we don't have much time left to decide."

xxx

Needless to say, Izuku didn't get much sleep that night. His eyes kept darting to the window in his bedroom, half expecting to see a fleet of alien ships coming to invade Earth. Closing the curtains didn't help; any little noise from outside made him jump.

He couldn't even bring himself to be excited about the fact that All Might was sleeping on his couch in the living room.

Apart from the paranoia, his brain was still busy coming up with possible strategies to defend Earth against the attack. At one point, he gave up trying to fall asleep and got his notebook to write down his ideas. Before he knew it, the sun had already risen and it was time for breakfast.

His mother looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep either. Dark rings surrounded her eyes and her hands shook slightly, although she tried to hide it. Her smile was strained when she greeted him.

All Might, on the other hand, looked well-rested and more chipper than he had any right to be, given the circumstances. "First time in two years that I've slept on something soft and comfy," he explained. Izuku was unsure how such a tall man could be so comfortable on a small couch, but then again, he didn't know where All Might had been sleeping while being held captive by aliens.

While they were eating breakfast, Izuku said, "I have to go back to the dorm and get ready for school. Do you think you still have your stuff at the teachers' dorm?"

"I have no idea," All Might replied, and then he sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if they gave it all away, though. At any rate, I'll have to talk to the principal." He paused, and then added, "Nedzu is still the principal, right?"

Izuku nodded, his mouth full. All Might looked relieved. He did have a lot of trust in Nedzu, so Izuku assumed that All Might was glad to have one more ally he could count on.

"I suppose they have hired someone else to replace me, too," All Might remarked.

"Oh… yeah…" Izuku murmured vaguely, wondering if he should tell All Might any more. The retired hero seemed to be in good spirits, and Izuku didn't want to risk ruining his mood, not knowing how he would react.

Speaking of which, how would everyone react to seeing All Might, after two years missing?

"All Might, I just had a great idea!" said Izuku, with a wide grin.

xxx

Izuku was glad to see that all of his classmates — even Katchan — were waiting for him in the common room, just like he had asked in his text message. They all turned to look at him when he arrived, some of them looking confused, some worried, some bored and impatient, and some were even relieved.

He couldn't help but grin in excitement, and seemingly, that helped put at ease those who were worried, although they still appeared to be very confused.

"Midoriya, there you are!" said Iida, gesturing robotically with his hands. "What is the reason for this urgent meeting? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong! Everything is great, actually!" replied Izuku, eager to reassure them. "I have an amazing surprise for you guys!"

"Well, get on with it, then! We're going to be late for class," said Iida, ever the strict class representative. Meanwhile, several other students leant closer, their curious eyes fixed on Izuku.

Izuku stepped to the side of the door, his arms extended like a magician about to perform a magic trick, and shouted, "Now!" This effect was enhanced by the poof of smoke that followed.

He kept his gaze on his classmates, watching their reactions. Even the more stoic ones widened their eyes as a muscular figure over seven feet tall seemed to materialize in front of them, trademark grin in place.

"I am here!" All Might's booming voice filled the room.

The room was silent for three whole seconds before Ashido screamed.

"Whaaaaaat?!"

And then everyone was surrounding All Might and talking at the same time. Several students actually embraced him, forming a group hug. Uraraka started sobbing.

Amidst all the noise and tearful embraces, All Might laughed, hugging back and patting the students on the head.

"Look at you! You've all grown so much!" he remarked. "So many familiar faces… Uh, wait, that one is new," he said, pointing at the only student who hadn't moved from his spot, leaning against the wall, typing on his phone as if nothing were happening.

"That's Shinso," said Kirishima.

"He was invited to join the Hero Course last year after Mineta was expelled for, um, inappropriate behavior," Yaoyorozu explained.

"Mr. Aizawa personally vouched for him," Kaminari complemented. "He's cool."

"Oh, yes, I remember him from the Sports Festival," said All Might. He approached the quiet teenager and extended his hand for a handshake. "Congratulations on making it to the Hero Course, my boy!"

Shinso eyed the offered hand suspiciously, barely spared a glance at All Might's face, and returned his attention to his cellphone. "Yeah, thanks," was all he said in response.

All Might looked a little taken aback at first, but then turned to Midoriya and said, in a playful tone, "He's Aizawa's protégé, all right."

"Shinso, that's rude!" Ashido scolded. "Don't ignore All Might!"

"Yeah, man, what's your deal?" Kaminari joined the chorus.

"Not a manly attitude," was Kirishima's judgement.

"Who fucking cares about him, anyway?" said Bakugo, glaring daggers at Shinso, who continued to ignore all of them.

Suddenly, a poof of smoke surrounded All Might again and he was back in his true form. He seemed confused for a moment and then turned to the door. Izuku and his classmates did the same, feeling the atmosphere tense.

Aizawa was at the door, his eyes glowing red and his hair up in the air as he glared at All Might. He blinked to deactivate his Quirk, but the glare did not go away.

Izuku was aware that Aizawa had never been a big fan of All Might and his methods as a hero and as a teacher, but as far as he knew, Aizawa didn't outright dislike him. Izuku couldn't imagine why his homeroom teacher would be so displeased to see a long-missing co-worker again.

Aizawa turned his glare momentarily to Izuku and then to All Might again.

"All Might. Midoriya. The Principal wants to see you in his office. Now."


End file.
